What is the purpose of traffic signals towards the end of slip roads on to motorways? What do they achieve?

"isitme"

Traffic lights have appeared on slip roads on Greater Manchester motorways, there are several sets on the M60. The theory behind them is that during peak times they control the volume of traffic joining the motorway, therefore avoiding long tailbacks, I don't know if it works though.

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Willow

It's to slow down the volume of traffic joining the motorway at busy periods. There is one near me and it does work, the lights change very quickly allowing only 6/8 cars through at a time, this prevents too rapid a build up and keeps the traffic moving.The downside is, that the roads leading to the motorway entrance slip road become even more congested and back up a long way. Where mine is, there is a roundabout just before the slip road, whilst the motorway flows along you can be stuck at the roundabout for ages!! Very frustrating.

If they're on a roundabout then they let the traffic flow better at peak times.

Edit:
Ah, slip roads "on to" motorways. My bad. Well, at rush hour, if there were no lights then the traffic would all keep trying to get on the motorway, slowing the motorway down to a grinding halt, with the slip road traffic backing up a long way onto the junction from where you turn to join the slip road.

Mad Jack

It is to regulate traffic entering the highway during rush hour.

They use these in the U.S. also. Milwaukee Wisconsin has them on every on ramp to all the major highways.

Trucky

Copy cat from the USA.
When you have heavy traffic on a motorway, the joining traffic from slip in roads can build up too much so those lights are to let a small amount of vehicles at a time to join in the crowded motorway.

anthony c

ok mate i think i know what you mean here the traffic lights at the end of a slip road are there because at peak times when the motorway is bizzy the traffic light automaticaly turn on to help out the folw of traffic entering the motorway . it just helps the motorway out by splitting the amount of cars comeing on all together its main aim is to keep the motorway moveing .

magicbird

Sl;ip roads? You mean entrance ramps onto highways?
The ones that are quick red-green-red-green no yellows?

Those things are GREAT! Hey, I lived in the East (NY driver husband), where entrance ramps were a nightmare, although they've gotten better.

But in San Jose, those on-ramp stoplights made traffic flow SO MUCH SMOOTHER. I no longer feared what would happen if I came to a dead halt on the entrance ramp (because then how could you POSSIBLY pick up enough speed again once you stopped? Never could figure out how NY drivers did it!)

But in San Jose, rush hour might have been slow, but those on-ramp lights were such a life-saver. However they work, they're a GOD-SEND!

â™¥brutalâ™¥

no idea - ive never seen them before, but i have heard of them.

obviously there are no lights for the motorway traffic? so what happens when the slip rd traffic builds up and then gets the green light!?

bonkers.

eye_d11

they achieve nothing - just another bright idea thought up by some non driving - planning office bod.

dandanxr2

thats a good question. i have no idea sorry.

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